Location: Stafford, TX
                Dallas, TX
Number of Respondents: 11

          Texas Instruments has various urban and suburban locations in Texas, though the respondents were evenly split between offices in Dallas and Stafford (near Houston). Those students not living at home stayed in unsubsidized apartments that the company usually helped find. Everyone reported that a car was necessary for getting around, though the company did not provide one. Commuting times averaged 5 minutes in Stafford and 20 minutes in Dallas. The nearby cities offered a multitude of after-work activities.

          All but three of the respondents worked in product development, the others being in basic or applied research. Group sizes were generally either less than 5 people or more than 20. While three students thought their work was important to that of their group, an equal number thought that their work was only somewhat important. Almost all projects were determined upon arrival or a few weeks thereafter, with most students having little choice of project assignment. Projects included writing a Palm Pilot to DSP interface, writing circuit simulation software, and experimenting to find the effect of speech compression on speech recognition. While some students felt challenged or underqualified for their projects, others felt overqualified.

          Almost all the students worked in shared cubicles, which fostered social interaction but was distracting for some. Students' impressions of the work environment ranged from medium to very laid back, and almost all reported having very competent coworkers and being treated with respect. Modern equipment was available to the students. There was an excellent amount of student interaction, with the company sponsoring many activities, such as lunches, bowling, and a waterpark trip.

          Texas Instruments pays for relocation costs, and partially covers fifth year, first term tuition. The company provided health and dental insurance for one intern. Salary was slightly above average.

          Overall, the students had good impressions of the company and their groups. Six of the students would choose Texas Instruments again and would consider working there after graduation.

"Having a car or a roommate with a car is imperative. I didn't like that."
"I was treated _exactly_ the same as a permanent employee, from voice mail to computer to work, etc."
"Most of the group hold terminal degrees, with a good friendly & joking work environment."

Teradyne, Inc.
HKN Guide